Gingersnap Cookies

This recipe for gingersnap cookies meets my need for crunchy, spicy-sweet little treats. But if you like your cookies chewy, you can make them that way, too. The story of this recipe begins at that mecca of snack food, Trader Joe’s.
If you’ve ever regularly shopped at Trader Joe’s, you probably know this tale of woe all too well. Out of their many delicious snacks, you find a few favorites that you buy every time you shop, maybe in duplicate or triplicate (or more, quadruplicate? No judgement!). And then one day you head to the shelf to pick up your standbys, and they’re gone. “Oh well, just temporarily out of stock,” you think. And maybe you’re right.

Or maybe, feeling scared and vulnerable, you run over to the customer service desk, dodging carts left and right, and ask them when they’ll get more of your favorite snacks. Definitely not IF, but WHEN.

But the when, the when is never.

They’ve discontinued them, and maybe even tried to replace them with an inferior version. And you can’t even buy them someplace else, because Trader Joe’s rebranded them, keeping their true identity a closely-guarded corporate secret.

This is what happened to me when I tried to buy their gluten-free gingersnap cookies last week. I don’t follow a gluten-free diet, so I don’t know why I even tried the cookies in the first place, but I got hooked on them when I lived a 10-minute walk from a Trader Joe’s. I actually don’t shop there regularly any more, but when I did go, I would usually pick up a bag or two of those cookies. When I discovered that they’re gone forever (replaced with a different version), I set out to bake my own replica.

Has this ever happened to you, at Trader Joe’s or anywhere else? What was your dear, departed snack of choice?

The things that I liked about the original cookies were the spices, the texture, and the crunch. So I did a little bit of sleuthing. Here are the ingredients:

The first type of flour listed is corn, so I decided to use some corn meal in mine. But I am fine with eating gluten, plus I didn’t have any gluten-free flour in the house, so mine aren’t gluten-free. I imagine you could substitute gluten-free flour (plus xanthan gum, if your flour doesn’t contain it), but I haven’t done the experiment.

Aside from the corn meal, the rest of the cookie is pretty straightforward. I do like the extra texture and crunch that they get from the corn, though.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar, molasses and egg.
Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl; stir into butter mixture until combined.
Refrigerate for several hours.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Scoop out dough and shape into 1-inch diameter balls. Roll into granulated sugar and place on a baking sheet.
For soft cookies, bake for 10-12 minutes. For crispy, crunchy cookies, bake for 15-17 minutes.
Remove from the baking sheet and cool on wire racks.

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3 thoughts on “Gingersnap Cookies”

Pat Schwabsays:

Rachel, This is so funny because I am sitting here with Triple Ginger Snaps from Trader Joe’s. My daughter just bought them as a surprise for me. Have you ever tried them? They have actual pieces of ginger in them. I still like the hard old fashioned snaps that come in a bag . I remember one time when my kids were little finding the cutest little ice cream cones for them. I went back to the store to buy more but they said they weren’t getting them again. They were perfect for a little treat and so cute for young kids. So I got their number off the box but they weren’t available anymore. I know a lot of times this has happened with cosmetics. Your recipe looks yummy. Pat S

Rachelsays:

Pat, I have tried those. I can’t remember why, but I didn’t like them as much.

Aw, did you ever find a good replacement for the little cones? I’ve heard of people hoarding cosmetics that are being discontinued, and there are even companies that will try to re-create the color of lipsticks that no longer exist. But some things just can’t be replaced. Ah well, I guess we just have to appreciate things while they’re around.

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Welcome to DIY in PDX! I'm Rachel, and I write, photograph, and make pretty much everything you see here. I share DIY projects, recipes, style, and design that inspires me from my home in beautiful Portland, Oregon. Want to know more, or get in touch? Go here!

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